She knocked back the scotch and poured herself another. Sleep was beyond her, getting drunk was beyond her. She was at a pitch of nerves that would let her neither rest nor sleep. She had become good at fighting, and Georgio had sat up and taken notice, that was the main thing.

The sharp ringing of a phone broke into her thoughts and she automatically picked up the receiver by her side. Nothing, just a dialling tone. It took her a moment to realise it was the fax on the desk. She went to it and listened in the eerie light as the strange sound emanated from it, stretching her overwrought nerves. As the paper began to spew on to the desk she laughed with relief. She had given herself the heebie-jeebies over nothing. Quickly, she swallowed down more scotch.

Picking up the piece of paper she scanned the page, turning on the desk lamp to see it more clearly. It was written by hand, a scrawling hand. She screwed her eyes up to read it better.

FOR DAVEY AND GEORGIO
TROUBLE AT THE HOTELS. GOVERNMENT TROUBLE.
NEED HELP.
STOPPED SHIPPING UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

CANDY

Donna looked at the fax as if she had never seen one before. Who the hell was Candy? The headed notepaper was from the Bay View Hotel in Sri Lanka. She read and reread the fax, but still she couldn’t make head nor tail of it. Shipping what? Georgio had already told her that the government had stopped the building, so what could be the new trouble? Her husband vanished from her mind as she studied the message.

She needed to get to the bottom of this - and Davey would have to start answering some questions soon. She saw the fax number on top of the piece of paper and, without knowing why, locked the fax into the desk drawer. Dolly was always around and about and something told her to keep this to herself for a while.

Here was another of the great Brunos mysteries; and knowing Georgio like she did she knew she wouldn’t get a straight answer from him about it.

Carol was in the office when Donna arrived and the two women chatted and shared a cup of coffee. Small talk was easy with Carol Jackson; she thrived on it.

‘My Chrissy’s in all sorts of trouble up the school. I told Davey to give him a right-hander but he won’t. I’ll have to do it as usual.’

‘What’s he done?’

Carol shook her head. ‘If I told you, Donna, you wouldn’t believe me. That boy is just like his father, feet first into everything. He’s fifteen going on thirty, that’s his trouble.’

Donna smiled sympathetically. ‘Where is Davey, by the way? I want to have a word with him.’

Carol shrugged. ‘Out. I dunno when he’ll be back. He had a bit of business.’